The Syrian Future Movement follows with great interest and appreciation the announcement issued by the Syrian Ministry of Finance on Thursday, May 21, 2026, regarding the implementation of Presidential Decree No. 68 of 2026. This decree mandates a significant increase in the salaries and wages of employees in the health, education, and higher education sectors, complementing Decree No. 67 of 2026, which added a general 50% increase to public sector salaries.
The new directives, issued jointly by the Ministries of Finance, Health, and Higher Education, include implementation schedules specifying the salary increase based on job title and employee status. Additional compensation of 15% and 10%, respectively, will be granted to employees in remote and semi-remote areas. This is part of an ambitious plan to develop health and education services and achieve universal health coverage by 2030.
The Syrian Future Movement commends this step, considering it a genuine investment in human capital and an appreciation of the sacrifices made by healthcare and education personnel. It also values these long-awaited and significant increases, which represent the culmination of government efforts to address one of the most prominent failures of the ousted regime. For decades, the regime deliberately impoverished and marginalized educational and healthcare personnel, forcing them into emigration or abject poverty.
While commending this step, the Syrian Future Movement recalls that Syrian teachers and doctors were among the first to call for change, and that improving their conditions today is a recognition of their contributions and participation in building the future.
We believe that approving these increases, especially with the provision of additional incentives for workers in remote areas that have suffered the most from neglect and marginalization, sends a clear message that the new Syria stands with its citizens wherever they may be.
The Syrian Future Movement points to the importance of this step in the context of strengthening job stability and stemming the brain drain.
It also draws attention to the fact that these significant increases come at a critical juncture, as Syria is suffering from a severe shortage of healthcare and education personnel due to decades of neglect, emigration, and difficult living conditions.
Furthermore, we warn that the salary gap between Syria and neighboring countries has been a major reason for the continued emigration of doctors and teachers, exacerbating the crisis in sensitive and vital sectors.
We believe that this decision, which sets the increase amount according to job title and provides additional compensation for remote areas, constitutes a necessary first step to attract and retain talent and rebuild trust between workers in these two sectors and state institutions.
The Syrian Future Movement reiterates its firm stance on the necessity of improving the conditions of national personnel, as published on its official website, including:
- The statement “Executive Instructions for Increasing the Salaries of Educational Staff” (dated May 20, 2026), which commended the efforts of the Ministries of Education and Finance in finalizing the executive instructions and emphasized that improving teachers’ conditions is an investment in the future of coming generations.
- The statement “The Education Crisis in Syrian Regions” (dated February 5, 2026), which called for improving and standardizing salaries across different regions, securing permanent positions for educational staff, and establishing a performance- and quality-based incentive system.
- The statement “Setting the Purchase Price of Wheat for the 2026 Season” (dated May 18, 2026), which affirmed that reducing the cost of living and improving income are the two fundamental pillars for achieving any genuine economic development.
While the Syrian Future Movement appreciates these measures, it notes that the value of the increase varies according to job titles, and that the process of entitlement and payment still requires verification, which may take some time. The Ministries of Finance and Education have announced that basic salaries will be disbursed before the Eid holiday, while the difference in the increase will be postponed until the final lists of eligible categories are verified.
Based on these facts, and in the interest of transparency and speed, the Syrian Future Movement recommends the following:
- Publicly and transparently announcing the actual percentages of the increases, as promised by the Minister of Finance, which would be a “pleasant surprise,” to provide a genuine incentive and alleviate the anticipation and anxiety among national staff.
- Establishing a binding timetable for completing the verification of the lists and disbursing the financial differences, with regular updates for beneficiaries regarding the reasons for any delays, and providing a clear grievance mechanism for those who believe their name was inadvertently omitted or that their increase was not calculated correctly.
- These increases should be linked to ongoing training and development programs to enhance staff efficiency and improve the quality of services provided, as income improvement alone is insufficient without concurrent training and development.
- These increases must be extended to contracted staff and those on temporary contracts in the health and education sectors to ensure fairness and prevent the widening gap between permanent and temporary employees.
In conclusion, the Syrian Future Movement reiterates its welcome of this important national step and commends the government’s efforts to prioritize improving the conditions of workers in vital service sectors.
While the Syrian Future Movement appreciates this approach, it emphasizes that these increases are not a favor, but a right for workers who have endured the ravages of war, sanctions, and marginalization for decades.
We believe that investing in health and education is the surest path to building a new Syria and ensuring a bright future for generations to come. The true success of these increases will not be measured by the amount of funds allocated, but by their ability to bring about a radical transformation in the lives of millions of teachers, doctors, and nurses, improve services provided to citizens, attract back skilled professionals who have emigrated, and rebuild confidence in Syria’s future. Therefore, we believe that the government is called upon today to expedite disbursement procedures, ensure transparency, and hold accountable any administrative shortcomings that hinder these rights from reaching their rightful recipients as soon as possible.
